Can cooling apparatus



June 26, 1934. B. c. SKiNNER CAN COOLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 7, 1.933

INVENTOR. fire/mm. 6. J/f/fI/lf.

; ATTOR Y Patented June 26, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFica CAN COOLING APPARATUS Bronson C. Skinner, Dunedin, Fla., assignor to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware 4 Application October 7, 1933, Serial No. 692,594

8 Claims.

quickly and efliciently cool a continuous ,procession of sealed, product-filled cans passing therethrough after they have been subjected to heat treatment in sterilizing or cooking apparatus.

Essentially, the object of the invention is to provide apparatus to increase the efficiency of coolingtanks, and this is accomplished by re-' moving liquid from the tank which has been heated by the entry of hot cans from a cooker or sterilizer, and by augmenting the circulation of colder liquid around the cans passing therethrough. I

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of a cooling apparatus embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus taken along, the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

The drawing illustrates the, apparatus embodying the invention as employed in connection with a cooling apparatus positioned to receive sealed, product-filled cans from a cooker, both the-cooker and cooler being of the type through which the cans are conveyed by means of an endless traveling processing of products which do not require the application of temperatures above 212 degrees- F. tosterilize them and which preferably should not be agitated during this process.

The cooler comprises a rectangular shaped tank 1 supported by legs 2 and containing a body of cooling liquid 3, through which the cans areconveyed by means of an endless flexible conveyer 4 of any suitable construction, the one shown being of the slatted type. The cooler is illustrated as being placed in end to end alignconveyer, such as used for the ment with the cooker 5, end walls 6 and '7 of the cooker and cooler respectively being spaced apart a sufficient distance to prevent the absorption of heat from the one by the other. Only a portion of the cooker -is illustrated, since it forms no part of the present invention.

The endless conveyer 4 extends through both the cooker and cooler and in its upper run is supported and guided by channel members 8 suitably arranged longitudinally of the cooler at either side thereof. The mid-portion of the conveyer is supported by idler sprockets 9 arranged to elevate the same so that the conveyer is inclined upwardly out of the cooker and over the end walls 6 and '7 and then descends into the bath of cooling liquid 3 in the cooler. At the discharge end of the cooler the conveyer 4 is inclined upwardly out of the cooler and passes over drive sprockets 10, and its return run is supported beneath the apparatus upona series of idler rollers 11. y

The drive sprockets 10 are secured to a drive shaft 12 which may be driven from any suitable source of power applied to the drive pulley 13. whereby to drive the conveyer in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The tank 1 is continuously supplied with cooling liquid from a supply pipe 14 located near the dis-' charge end of the tank and provided with a plurality of discharge nozzles 15 preferably disposed at an angle to the vertical, as shown, so as to assist the flow of cooling liquid along the bottom of the tank in a direction counter to the travel of the conveyer and toward the receiving end of the tank, whereby the cans are subjected to progressively cooler liquid as they pass from the receiving end of the cooler to the discharge end.

In the operation of the mechanism thus far described the hot cans are lifted out of the cooker by the inclination of the conveyer 4 over the idler sprocket. 9 and immersed in the bath of cooling liquid by the'descent of the conveyer into the cooler. The operation of the conveyer passes the submerged cans through the cooler,- their travel therethrough being timed to reduce their temperature to the desired degree. The ascent of the conveyer 4 over the drive sprockets 10 at the discharge end of the cooler places the cans on the discharge table 16, from whence they may be removed as desired for labeling, storage or shipment. The cooling liquid is continuously replaced by fresh cooling liquid delivered to the tank by way of the nozzles. 15, it beingpaused to flow through the cooler toward the receiving end of the tank where, by reason of the high temperature of incoming cans, it becomes heated and rises to the surface of the tank, from whence it is removed and caused to overflow the tank by means of apparatus presently to be described.

As will be understood, the liquid heated by the hot cans as they pass through the cooler rises up to the surface of the liquid, and this upper stratum of heated liquid tends to circulate back toward the point of introduction of the fresh cooling liquid. This flow of heated liquid towards the discharge end of the cooler, if permitted, would cause an abnormal rise in temperature of the cooling liquid towards the discharge end of the tank, resulting in decreased efficiency of the cooling medium, and in order to prevent the flow of any considerable amount of this upper stratum of heated liquid toward the discharge end of the cooler I have provided means to retard the circulation of the upper stratum of heated liquid and to cause it to overflow from the tank at a point between the point of entry of the cans into the cooling liquid and their point of discharge. This is accomplished by means of a trough-like baffle 17 i which extends transversely across the tank at the liquid surface level and positioned with its edge nearest the point of entry of incoming cans beneath the surface of the liquid. The submerged edge of the baffle 17 extends across substantially the entire width of the tank to intercept the flow of the upper stratum of heated liquid as it moves toward the discharge end of the cooler and to cause it to overflow the tank through the discharge port 18 of the baffle, so that little or none of the heated upper stratum of the surface liquid will pass beneath the baflie toward the discharge end of the cooler. This outlet port 18 of the baflie communicates by means of an ordinary elbow pipe union with an overflow pipe 20, through which liquid overflowing from the tank 1 through the outlet 18 may be conducted to any desirable location.

However, as may readily be appreciated, product-filled cans which have been heated to temperatures approximating 212 degrees F. do not immediately give up all their heat upon contact with the cooling liquid, but as the cans pass through the cooler they continue to give up their heat to the liquid until the temperature of their contents and the temperature of the cooling liquid approaches the same degree. Also, as will be appreciated, the continued movement of the canladen conveyer retards the flow of the currents of cooler liquid traveling along the lower portion of the tank towards the overflow end, so that the circulation of the colder liquid around the cans toward the receiving end of the tank is considerably retarded. An increasing percentage of the liquid in the tank is heated, therefore, by the continuous procession of cans, and to overcome this 1 have made provision to draw off the upper stratum of the liquid at a second point in the rear of the baffle 17 and closer to the discharge end of the tank and deliver it to a point where it will overflow the tank by means of the bafile 17 and discharge pipe 20. This is accomplished by means of additional baffies positioned throughout the length of the cooling tank as at 21 and 22, these bafiles being identical in construction and operation with baffle 17 hereinbefore described. The heated liquid which rises to the surface of the tank in the rear of baffle 17 is intercepted in its flow toward the point of liquid supply by the baffies 21 and 22 and caused to overflow the tank through their outlet ports 23 and 24.

It will be understood that the liquid skimmed from the surface of the tank by the baffle 22 is relatively cold as compared to the liquid ove'rflowing the tank at baffle 1'7, and this liquid is, therefore, returned to the tank to further assist in the cooling operation. An inclined pipe 25 conducts the liquid overflowing the tank at 24 to a pump 26 which forces it back into the tank 1 through the longitudinal slotted orifice 27 of the auxiliary inlet pipe 28, the latter extending transversely of the tank beneath the working run of the conveyer 4 and having its orifice 27 so positioned as to expel the liquid into the tank toward its receiving end and counter to the travel of the conveyer.

The baffle 21 is disposed directly above the pipe 28 and the upper stratum of liquid moving toward the discharge end of the tank is here again intercepted and caused to overflow the tank, being in turn conducted by the inclined pipe 29 to a second pump 30 and pumped into the tank through the slotted orifice 31 of pipe 32, as before; the pump 30, as well as pump 26, being driven by means of power transmitted through a suitable drive shaft driven by the motor 34.

It is believed that it will now be apparent that the flow of the cooling liquid from the nozzles 15 toward the point of entry of the cans into the tank is maintained throughout the length of the tank and repeatedly augmented as shown. Liquid flows from the surface of the tank through the outlet port 24 of the baflie 22 and returns to the tank beneath the level of the conveyer 4 through the slotted orifice 27 of the pipe 28 by the pump 26. At this point the travel of the conveyer 4 and the heat given up to the liquid by the cans being conveyed thereby causes the liquid to again rise to the surface of the tank, where it is intercepted by the baffle 21 and flows through the outlet port 23 and again returned to the tank beneath the level of the conveyer through the orifice 31 of the pipe 32, as before; each time the liquid being returned to the. tank at a point considerably in advance of the bafiie by means of which it was drawn from the surface of the tank. Thus the warmer upper stratum ,is repeate' 1y skimmed from the surface of the liquid and forced back into the tank beneath the conveyer until it reaches the receiving end of the tank where, having served its maximum usefulness as a cooling medium it is skimmed from the surface of the tank by the bathe 17 and carried off through the discharge pipe 20.

It will be understood that the battles and auxiliary supply pipes and their component parts disclosed and described herein are illustrative only, and that various changes in their arrangement and number, as well as form, proportion, size or details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, and I believe myself entitled to all such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now descibed my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A can cooling apparatus comprising a tank for containing a cooling liquid, a conveyer for conveying cans through the tank beneath the surface of the liquid, means for delivering cooling liquid to said tank, a pair of baffles disposed in spaced relation and extending across the width of the upper portion of the tank between the point of entry of the cans into the cooling liquid and the point of delivery of said cooling liquid to said tank, the lower portions of said bafiles exconveying cans through tending below the liquid level to retard cicula- \.tion of'the surface stratum of said cooling liquid, a liquid outlet adjacent an end of each baflle through which moving surface liquid obstructed by said baifles may overflow from the tank, and means for receiving the overflow from the baiiie nearest the discharge end of the tank and forcing the same back into the lower portion of the tank at a point in advance of said last mentioned baille.

2. A can cooling apparatus comprising a tank for containing a cooling liquid, a conveyer for the tank beneath the surface of the liquid, means for delivering cooling liquid to said tank, a pair of battles spaced relation across the width of the upper portion of the tank intermediate the source of liquid supply and the point of entry of the cans into the cooling liquid, said bailies being positioned with their lower portions extending below the liquid level to intercept the flow of the surface stratum of said liquid, a liquid outlet adjacent an end of each baflie though which moving surface liquid obstructed by saidbaiile 'may everflow said tank, means for receiving the liquid overflowing from the baffle nearest the discharge end of the tank and forcing the same back into the tank at a point in advance of said bafile and below the level of theconveyer, and means communicating with the outlet of the second of said bames whereby moving surface liquid obstructed by said baiiie may be discharged from the tank.

3. A can cooling apparatus comprising a tankfor containing a cooling liquid, a conveyer for conveying cans through the tank beneath-the surface of the liquid, means for delivering cooling liquid to said tank, a pair of trough-shaped baffles disposed across the upper portion of the tank between the point of liquid supply and the point of entry of the cans into the cooling liquid, a portion of each of said baffles being submerged beneath the surface of the liquid to permit the flow of the surface stratum of said liquid into said bailies, an outlet adjacent an end of the first of said baflles through which liquid flowing into said baille may overflow the tank, means to redeliversaid liquid to the lower portion of iii) the tank at a point in advance of said baffle, means to force said liquid into said tank at said point in a direction of the tank, and an outlet adjacent an end of the second of said baffles through which liquid flowing into said baflle may be discharged from the tank.

4. A can cooling apparatus comprising a tank for containing a cooling liquid, a conveyer for conveying cans through the tank beneath the surface of the liquid,- means for delivering cooling liquid to said tank at a point near its discharge end, a baflle disposed across the width of the tank intermediate the source of liquid supply and the point of entry of the cans into the cooling liquid, said baffle being positioned with a portion thereof submerged below the liquid level to intercept the flow of the surface stratum of said liquid, 2. liquid outlet-adjacent an end of said bailie through which moving surface liquid obstructed by said baiiie may overflow said tank, means to r deliver said ,liquid'to the tank at a point in level of the conveyer with sufllcient force to augment the circulation of the cooling liquid, a second baille disposed across the width of the tank at a point between the first baille and the point of entry of the cans into the cooling liquid disposed in towards the receiving end.

vance of said baiile and below the and positioned above the point of redelivery of the liquid from said first baiile to said tank, a liquid outlet adjacent an end of said second baflle through whichmoving surface liquid obstructed by said-baiiie maybe discharged from the tank.

5. A can cooling apparatus comprising a tank for containing a cooling liquid, a conveyer for conveying cans through the tank beneath the surface of the liquid, means for delivering cooling liquid to said tank at a point approximating the point of discharge of the cans, means providin for the overflow of the surface stratum of liquid from the tank comprising a baflle disposed across the upper portion of the tank at a point between the source of liquid supply and the point of entry of cans into the cooling liquid, a portion of said baiile being submerged beneath the surface of the liquid to intercept the flow of said surface stratum of liquid and receive it into said baflle, means to conduct said liquid from said baflle to a point in the lower portion of said tank, means to eject said liquid into said tank, means to direct the fiow of liquid being returned to said tank to augment the flow of cooling liquid therein, a second baffle disposed across the upper portion of the tank at a point between said first baiile and the point of entry of cans into the cooling liquid, a portion of said baiile being submerged to intercept the flow of surface liquid and receive it into said baffie, and means for discharging liquid received by said second baflle from the tank. v i I 6. A can cooling apparatus comprising a tank for containing cooling liquid, 'a conveyer for conveying cans through the tank beneath the surface of the liquid, means for delivering cooling liquid to the tank at a point near its discharge end, a pair of bafiles disposed in spaced relation across the width of the upper portion of the tank intermediate the source of liquid supply and the point of entry of the cans into the cooling liquid, each of said 'bailles having a portion thereof extending below the liquid level to intercept the flow of the surface stratum of liquid and receive it into said bafile,-an outlet adjacentan end of each of said baffies to discharge the liquid received therein from the tank, and means to redeliver the liquid discharged from one of said bafiles to the tank and cause it to be re- .12

ing liquid, each of said baffles having a portion thereof extending below the liquid level to intercept the fiow of the surface stratum of liquid and receive it into said baffle, an outlet adjacent an end of each of said baffles to discharge liquid received therein from the tank, means to redeliver liquid discharged from one of said baiiles to the tank and cause it to be recirculated therethrough comprising a pump, means to deliver liquid from said baiile to said pump, and means connecting with said pump and positioned across the lower portion of said tank through which liquid may be forced into said tank.

8. A can cooling apparatus comprising a tank for containing cooling liquid, a conveyer for conface of the liquid,.means for delivering cooling liquid to the tank at a point near its discharge end, a pair of bafiles disposed in spaced relation across the width of the upper portion of the tank intermediate the source of liquid supply and the point of entry of the cans into the cooling liquid, each of said bafiies having a portion thereof extending below the liquid level to intercept the flow of surface stratum of liquid and receive it into said baffles, an outlet adjacent an end of each of said baflles to discharge liquid received therein from the tank, means to redeliver the BRONSON C. SKINNER. 

